Electric pencil sharpener



Dea il?, 929 7 A, Q BURST UMLBQ ELECTRI C PENC IL SHARPENER Filed Sept.29, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l l Ful-M \i- Inventor zmszj if! QM 5 w 2 m, nJ, m n o... e r w M 2 A. C. BURST ELECTRIC PENCIL SHARPENER Flled Sept29, 1927 Patented Dec. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES OFFICE ELECTRIC PENCILSBARIPENERv Application filed September 29, 1927. Serial No. 222,852.

This invention relates to an improved pencil Sharpener wherein theimprovement is basedupon the use of an electric motor which functions asan eflicient substitute for the ordinary hand crank provided in themanually operable Sharpener now in common use.

Briey, the invention has reference to a base, al motor supported on thebase, and a casing for the motor, a conventional form of pencilSharpener supported on said base in the casing, a driving connectionbetween the motor and Said Sharpener, and a pencil actuated switch forcontrolling the circuit which operates the motor.

The particular details and their relative arrangement and association,will become more readily apparent from the following base laterally ofthe motor, and movable outdescription and drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a pencil Sharpenerconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view taken substantially at right angles to Fig. 1, showingthe internal mechanism and switch.

`Fig. 3 iS a cross `Section taken transversely through the forward endof the device.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings by reference numeralspit will be seen thatthe reference character 5 designates a base which is of eneralrectangular conguration. Rising rom the forward and rear ends of thisbase, and fastened thereto in any appropriate man- 11er, are front andrear walls 6 and 7 respectively. l

Fitted over these walls and down around the longitudinal sides of thebase is a metal shell constituting a casing 8. Incidentally, these parts5, 6, 7 and 8, may be of any suitable configuration. In any event, theywill preferably be of Some artistic form to render the Structure ornate.The casing 8 is of course vvremovable to permit access to be had to theinterior.

Supported on the base is a small electric motor 9 whose shaft 10 iSprovided with a pinion 11. The pinion 11 meshes with a relatively largegear 12, fastened upon the rotary shaft (not shown), of pencil sharpener13. This Sharpener iS of conventional form, and embodies the customarycarrying frame for a pair of cutting rollers 14 of the ordinary floatingtype.

In this connection, it will be noticed that an appropriate bearing 15 isprovided for rotatably mounting the shaft and the sharpener 15 issupported on top of the motor 9. Tn addition, a guard 16 is provided andhouses the Sharpener, the guard being open on one side and provided .onits other side with a laterally depending chute 17 which serves toconduct the Sliavings downwardly and into an open top refuse drawer 18therebeneath.

The drawer is slidably mounted upon the Wardly through an opening formedin the front wall 6 as shown in Fig. 1. Tt is of course provided with ahandle 19 to facilitate operation.

The front wall 6 formed with a pencil intake opening 20, in alinementwith a guide tube 21, is in turn alined with the usual short guide 22 ofthe pencil Sharpener. This guide tube 21 is formed in its top with aslot through which the bent portion 23 of a Substantially U-shapedcontact element 24 is projected. This contact element 24 is mounted uponthe side of the front wall 6, and cooperates with an adjustable contactscrew 25, carried by a plate 26 which iS in turn fastened to the frontwall through the medium of a small bracket 27. Appropriate conductors orwires are con- -Ilected with the motor and Switch as represented in Fig.4.

In using the device, the operator simply places the proper end of thepencil through the opening 20, and into the guide tube 21. As the pencilis pushed into this tube it engages the bend 23 of the movable contactSpring or element 24. It thus produces Somewhat of a cam action andforces the free end portion of this contact into electrical connectionwith the screw 25. This automatically closes t-he Switch and starts themotor 9 to operate.

Rotation of. .the motor shaft 10 serves to `the entrance opening in saidend rotate the large gear l2'through the medium of the small pinion 11,and since'the gear 12 is fastened on the shaft of the rotary truck 13,it is obvious that this turns around in the customary way and thecutting rollers 14 act upon the pencil as is usual to provide .a

int. pOAs the pencil is withdrawn, the contact 24 resumes its normalswitch openin position. This therefore stops the motor. he operation andadvantages, of a device of this kind will be quite clear to personsskilled in the art to which the invention relates. Therefore,

a more lengthy description is believed unnecessary.

Mlnor changes 1n shape, size, and arrangement of details, coming withinthe scope of the Cidjoined claim may be resorted to if desire Havingthus described my invention, what l claim asnew is ln a structure of theclass described, a Hat base, end walls rising fromv opposite ends ofsaid base, one wall being provided With a pencil entrance opening, aremovable casing tted over lsaid wall and base, a motor supported on thebase and confined in the casing, a removable open top receptaclemountedon the base laterally, a rotary pencil Sharpener supported on top ofsaid motor and including a rotary driving shaft, a gear carried by saiddriving shaft, a pinion on the motor shaft in mesh with said gear, saidpencil sharpener'including a guard having a later ally depending chutehaving its discharge end above the receptacle, a tubular guide 1nalignment with theA sharpenin means ofthe pencil Sharpener and also in agnment with wall and further having a longitudinal slot, and a switchfor controlling said motor including a substantially U-shaped resilientrelatively movable Contact element having a bent portion extendingthrough said slot into said guide whereby when the pencil is insertedinto lsaid guide, the contact element will be, moved by cam action toclose the switch and to automatically Start the electric motor.

ln testimony whereof ll ax my signature.

ARTHUR CLARENCE BURST.

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